Thursday, December 19, 2013

Clarity Before Charity

By Hayley BerlentHoliday time is hardly
“Silent Night” when it comes to nonprofits.
According to Charity Navigator, 40% percent of funds are donated during
the traditional holiday season, and one can’t ignore the fundraising appeals
delivered by phone, email and even on the sidewalk.

Nonprofits run the risk of
overwhelming donors to the point that they might give nothing at all. Clarity before charity—here are four
principles for every nonprofit to follow:

Keep it simple

It’s no surprise that charity: water is a favorite among nonprofit insiders. As founder Scott
Harrison told The New York Times last year, “Simplicity is key. Be able to tell
your story simply…Show. Don’t tell. And
do it visually.” Perhaps a portion of their phenomenal 400% growth over the
past four years is due the organization’s simplicity of story and consistency
of delivery. It’s that simple.

Make it personal

Many nonprofits market their
cause by talking about themselves. “We have 675 beds.” “We’re solving global
problems.” “We serve 5 million members.” But rarely do these organizations
explain the benefit of 675 beds, how they solve global problems or what’s the
value of a membership base 5 million strong.
When we looked at organizations with avid, loyal supporters—the kind of
supporters every nonprofit aspires to have—we identified something
different: They humanize communications
and interactions. They give it a voice, a personality. They put faces on
numbers and connect people to people.
DonorsChoose.org is a great example.
In construct, they’re an innovative crowd-funding platform—they connect
causes (specifically teachers and classroom projects) with supporters. How they differ and transcend platforms like
Kiva, or even Kickstarter, is that they show the need, the connect you directly
to teachers and projects and, the best part is that every time a project is
funded, the teachers share a personal thank you—in the form or pictures or
handwritten letters. The power of personal narrative and thanks (with
measurable impact, too) has contributed to influencers like Oprah citing it as
“supercool” and “revolutionary” and cultivated a rabid twitter following. They take a potentially transactional
experience and make it personal.

Inspire action

There is no greater turn-off
than going to a nonprofit’s website and looking actively for ways to contribute
only to be met by a donate button and transactional form that then requires
four discrete actions or verifications to complete. Nonprofits who are defying
these uninspired appeals include Amnesty International among others. Besides
keeping their story simple (“fighting injustice and promoting human rights”)
and making their brand personal through clear, engaging language and an
approachable voice, Amnesty International inspires engagement and action for
fundraising and beyond. There are opportunities to “sign up” and “defend human
rights for all,” there is an opportunity to “donate now, “fight bad guys with
every dollar,” and “act now,” with a very discrete action—at least on this particular
day, which was “stop unlawful drone strikes.” They smartly lay out multiple
avenues for engagement, use language that embraces their distinctive voice and
they inspire through clear and specific calls-to-action. Unlike so many organizations that tout what
they do, Amnesty International balances what we can do together. That inspires
action.

Show impact

One of the most
disappointing communications failures among nonprofits is the lack of tangible
results or failure to follow-through on the appeal. I’m often left wondering,
where did my money go? How do I know it was used in the way they promised? Did
I help put a Band-Aid on the problem or contribute to lasting change? We’ve
seen these concerns validated in large-scale quantitative research, too. To
sustain a donor relationship, it’s critical that nonprofits ask and answer
these questions. And, as we look to future donors and the new age of
transparency in nonprofits heralded by the likes of Bill Gates and Warren
Buffet, measurable results are only going to grow in importance. The Gates Foundation, charity: water and the
Robin Hood Foundation are all leading the way in showing impact—and aren’t
reliant on the human testimonial alone. They use the power of storytelling
through data visualization, video and, in some cases, GPS trackers to show
money at work. That’s showing—and not just talking about—impact.

With more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. alone, inspiring charity demands clarity. So remember, if your nonprofit truly strives to bring “Joy to the World” this holiday season and beyond, you must keep it simple, make it personal, inspire action and show impact.

* This article was written by Hayley Berlent, Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Director, for Siegelvision, a leading NYC-based branding firm.For nearly 20 years, Hayley has helped cause-driven organizations achieve greater understanding, relevance and impact. As the engagement and strategy lead for several brand transformation efforts, for clients ranging from the Y (YMCA) to Aetna to Rotary International.

Links

Welcome

On this blog, professionals from Charity Navigator, the nation's largest independent charity evaluator and leading donor advocate, share their thoughts on emerging issues relating to the nonprofit sector and offer tips to help you make the most of your charitable endeavors.